BCPIP's History |
B.C. Partners in Planning has evolved since its conception in 1996, and its official opening in 1997. A lot has happened over the past 28 years! Photos and newspaper articles tell the story of the journey that has taken BCPIP to where we are today.
Tap on the image to read the full article.
Tap on the image to read the full article.
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BCPIP offically opened their doors with a royal reception in April 1997. The mayor of West Vancouver was present to assist "the Queen" with the ribbon cutting! The office was located at 24th and Marine Drive in Dundarave. |
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The Partners built their client base through newsletters, advertising and offering expertise to local media. They were frequently featured in Michael Kane's "Smart Money" column, advising on everything from insurance to retirement. |
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In 2002, Marian was recognized as the BC "Financial Planner of the Year" by the Canadian Association of Financial Planners. The Snowballs also received much media attention regarding family planning - each of their four children was born in Norway! |
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BCPIP has moved premises twice, but has stayed in the same block of Dundarave. An in-house CPA accounting practice was added in 2005, requiring additional staff and space. The partners were active in the local community and Marian was an instrumental member of the Dundarave Business Association. |
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When Vancouver hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics, BCPIP got into the spirit with banners, flags and a scoreboard for medal counts. The banners have been hoisted for other events such as the 2011 Stanley Cup final (Canucks vs Bruins) and for the 2012 summer Olympics in London, as pictured in the North Shore News photo, right.
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Ken Snowball, a founding partner of BCPIP, retired in July 2014 but continued his relationship with the firm in marketing and strategic initiatives for a few years. Ken’s background in organizational and software systems, with his investment and planning knowledge were great building blocks for the company.
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Gill Elmitt, who had been with BCPIP since 2006, became a Partner in 2014.
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In 2017, BCPIP Law Corporation, a small law firm specializing in corporate record management, was incorporated under Richard Paisley, LLB. Richard had previously partnered with BCPIP for several years as a sole practitioner.
See www.bcpiplaw.ca for more information. |
BCPIP was in featured in the North Shore News again in 2018 when the banner, flags and medal count scoreboard were raised for the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Sam Schafhauser, Nicole Snowball and Courtney James show their support for the games. |
Olympic Pride in West Vancouver
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As BCPIP staff numbers grew, to recognize the hard work and long hours, particularly during tax time, occasions were usually celebrated with an outdoor adventure. From hiking the Grouse Grind, snowshoeing at Cypress Mountain or rafting the Elaho, BCPIP staff are always up for a challenge!
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Philan Policar came to BCPIP in 2011 for a 6 week coop term during tax time. It was a good fit and he became a Partner in 2019! Over the years, Philan earned his CPA, CFA and CFP designations and was mentored by all Partners in all aspects of the business - including getting to know our northern BC clients, which involved a cross country ski session with Marian at Bearpaw Resort near Prince George.
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GLOBAL PANDEMIC STRIKES AT TAX TIME!
With Covid 19 restrictions announced in March 2020, BCPIP had to quickly adapt to a digital environment and remote workforce. It all went remarkably smoothly and after several years of rotating days in the office, a hybrid work environment and paperless-ish office are here to stay. |
Marian Snowball
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Losing Marian to pancreatic cancer in February 2021 was devastating for her family, friends and our staff and clients. Marian was a founder of BCPIP and the visionary who guided the business to where it is today. Tap here to read more about Marian |
A candlelight vigil at Dundarave Beach for Marian
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Katherine Bourne first joined BCPIP in 2004 and was a Partner from 2021 - 2024. BCPIP also welcomed Tony Wu as a Partner in 2022. Tony worked in a similar small accounting firm in Surrey and brought expertise in tax planning, reorganizations and real estate transactions to BCPIP. One of the many challenges Tony took on after joining BCPIP was learning to ski !
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In 2021 the BCPIP Cycling team was properly outfitted with new jerseys! The team looks sharp when participating in the Rotary Ride for Rescue - an annual event which involves cycling 12 km up the Cypress Mountain road to raise funds for North Shore Search and Rescue.
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Coda Trust Company, initially incorporated in 2020 as BCPIP Trust Company, became operational in 2023. This fulfilled Marian's vision of an internal, boutique Trust Company offering financial and intergenerational security for clients and the general public. Marian's daughter, Nicole Snowball, Coda's Trust Officer was involved from the beginning.
Click to visit the Coda Trust website: www.codatrust.ca |
